Published by mineditionUS

Summary:  A storm comes to town that is unlike any that has ever been seen before, and a family is forced to stay inside.  It feels strange to be indoors together for so long and soon tempers flare.  Everyone is mad at each other and just wants to be alone.  One night, though, a violent thunderstorm and power outage bring them all back together again, and after that things start to get better.  There are still occasional fights, but each day the family bond gets stronger, until one day the storm is gone and the sun is shining again.  When they head outside, there’s a lot of storm damage, but it’s clear from the last picture that the family will be working together to clean it up.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  While this story seems clearly to have been inspired by the pandemic lockdown, it could also be used to show how a family moves through different stages during any sort of difficult time.  The family’s resilience in overcoming anger and learning to pull together during a tough time make this an excellent story for social and emotional learning.  

Cons:  The ending felt a little abrupt.